Fixing the Cracks
by Sandylee007
Summary: Sequel to Cracking Frames Time has passed, and Naruto and Sasuke are slowly working things out. When they decide to take a vacation, they’re put to a one more test as a face from the past returns… AU YAOI NaruSasu
1. Trust

A/N: Hey there, folks! (grins)

I'm so sorry that it took quite a bit of time, but now this sequel for 'Cracking the Frames' is FINALLY about to get started! (grins again slightly nervously and rubs hands together) First off, thank you so much to all those who had enough faith in me to wish for this to get started!  
DISCLAIMER: Me, OWN?! (howls with laughter) MAN, you've gotta be joking me! I still don't own, and unfortunately do so 2010, either. (pouts, and sobs)

WARNINGS: YAOI, adult themes, language, general weirdness…. (smirks) Ya know, all the usual lot from my ficcies.

Awkay, because I guess stalling won't do any good, let's go! (gulps) I really hope ya'll have a nice ride.

* * *

_**Fixing the Cracks**_

* * *

Verse One: Trust

* * *

_Nineteen Months Later_

* * *

Naruto had known to expect that the journey with Sasuke wouldn't be easy; he hadn't been childish enough to imagine that everything that'd happened could be overcome in a blink of an eye. But it'd nonetheless caught him by surprise just how difficult the road they'd taken had been.

Sasuke was recovering, but even slower than the previous time. Having been forced to go through all that twice had left the raven marks Naruto wasn't sure he could heal. The raven was also wary and self-conscious because of various kinds of scars, which was difficult for the blond to handle. Sasuke had always been a proud, confident person; it made him sick with fury that someone like Ruki had been able to damage all that. Most nights, he knew, the Uchiha woke up to dark dreams the man still wouldn't talk about. But things were, at least, getting slightly better. They weren't officially… _together_ yet, but nonetheless Sasuke was still staying with him. And the Uchiha _talked_, a little bit, if he was careful enough to listen. During the past two years he'd learned a lot more about Sasuke than he'd been able to during all the years they'd known each other before that. The things were so simple that he was ashamed he hadn't known them before.

He'd learned that although Sasuke hated sweets, the man had a strange fascination for mocha-chocolate. He'd come to know that midnight-blue was Sasuke's favorite color, and that although most music irritated the Uchiha the man loved Bach. He'd always thought Sasuke was fearless, but now he knew that the man was fidgety of the dark and loud noises; he had a nasty feeling that it was Ruki's doing.

Trust was the biggest obstacle between them, and it applied to both sides. They didn't quite dare to trust the other not to slip away just yet; past mistakes had left deep scars.

But some days, life was pretty damn close to normal.

Close to eleven that Sunday, Naruto was for once the one to wake up earlier. He just had to smile at the sight of Sasuke's completely relaxed sleeping face, and at the way the Uchiha all but pouted at some dream he could only guess. He definitely enjoyed how warm the man felt, having snuggled just a little bit closer to him in his sleep.

He really, really didn't want to wake Sasuke up, especially because he knew how rare calm sleep like this was for the Uchiha. But he didn't really have a choice – they couldn't just sleep all day.

Careful to be as soft and tender as possible, he pressed a tiny kiss to the raven's hairline. At first Sasuke shivered a little, one hand twitching, until the man's mind seemed to return to the present. Slowly a pair of slightly hazy eyes opened halfway to peer at him.

He grinned. "Hey. How did you sleep?"

Sasuke shrugged and frowned a little, most likely still trying to wake up. A one more thing he'd learned recently – as early as the Uchiha usually woke up, he woke up very slowly.

Not discouraged by the very typical lack of response, he started playing with the other's silky raven locks. Although Sasuke usually hated touching, the man apparently loved it when someone touched his hair. He found that odd, but liked it a lot. "You know… I've been thinking. We've been through quite a bit – we deserve a break."

Sasuke glanced towards him, a little more awake already. "What do you have in mind?"

"We both have tons of unspent holidays and days off in store. So I was thinking of a vacation, just the two of us. Maybe we could go to the mountains, for five days or so."

Sasuke frowned. "What about Chiasa?"

He grinned. For once he was one step ahead the Uchiha. "I already called Itachi. He's more than happy to have her for a few days."

Sasuke quirked an eyebrow, appearing mildly amused. "You sure are determined."

His grin from before widened. He already knew he'd won this one. "Well of course when it's about you."

Sasuke's smile was most likely supposed to be wry, but it carried a little too much. "Hn. So I've noticed."

At that moment, as he looked at Sasuke and felt something strong swell inside him, he couldn't hold himself back, no matter how much his reason tried to beg him to stop. He shifted forward, catching Sasuke's lips into a heated kiss that obviously managed to catch the raven off guard. As the kiss and the surges inside him intensified he lost all control over his body – including his hands. While the left one pulled Sasuke closer demandingly, the right one roamed its way around the Uchiha's body, feeling up and eventually first sneaking under the other man's shirt, then into the man's pants.

And then Sasuke placed a firm hand to his chest, pushing him away so hard that it almost hurt. Onyx eyes became filled with a mixture of emotions he couldn't identify. "Don't."

Immediately feeling bad for it, he felt a bang of disappointment as he nodded and licked his lips, almost shivering. He withdrew from the raven, feeling colder than he should've. "'K. It's… It's okay", he muttered as he lay back down. "It's okay. Things will work out, eventually." He wished from the bottom of his heart that he could've sounded more convincing.

Silence was thick and heavy as they lay there, both deep in thought and he fighting to hold back tears of sadness and frustration.

Just then, so quietly that he barely heard, something that'd probably been spinning inside Sasuke's head for a long time became voiced at last. "What if this is the best it'll ever get – if you'll never get more than this?" The man's eyes were much darker than usual, carried something he'd never seen in them before. "Is this really enough?"

At first he stared at Sasuke for a couple of still, shocked moments. Then, very slowly, a small smile made its way to his face. "You've never let me closer than this, you know? And that… That means a lot more than all the physical crap. _A lot_ more."

At first Sasuke looked at him with obvious suspicion, but then – very slowly – such trust he'd never seen before appeared to those onyx orbs. And for the first time ever the Uchiha kissed him first, in a way that left no room for doubt. He'd never felt as happy in his entire life.

Once lack of oxygen broke the kiss he kept his eyes closed and smiled while leaning his forehead against Sasuke's and holding the raven. Although Sasuke shivered just a little bit at first, the man made no move away from his hold. No words needed to be spoken.

That's how they remained for almost an hour.

* * *

When they finally made it out of the bedroom and sauntered into the kitchen, they were surprised to discover that they weren't the first ones there. The heavy scent of both scorched and good food greeted them as they walked in and saw Chiasa, who'd clearly at least tried to make breakfast for them.

The girl grinned radiantly, obviously proud of her doings. "You slept late, so I made some rice and nattō for us."

The glanced towards the plate-full of food she'd placed to the table. Almost half of it was pretty badly burned, but the rest… looked pretty good, actually.

"Thank you, Chia." Sasuke's face tensed up slightly as the raven sat. "After the breakfast, there's something we should talk about." Ah, something more he'd learned about Sasuke. Although it was _never_ spoken out loud, he could tell that the Uchiha felt guilty about all the fear, doubt and worry Chiasa had been forced through because of Ruki. And leaving his daughter behind, even if for just a couple of days… was something so hard Sasuke had never even tried it before.

But apparently there was no need to worry. Chiasa shrugged, smiling. "If you mean the holiday trip, I already know – I've seen uncle Naruto fiddling the advertisement. I think it's a good idea. Just don't do anything stupid, okay?" She then nodded towards the nattō. "Now start eating before it gets cold."

Naruto just had to grin brightly as he sat down and attacked the breakfast.

At that moment it was very, very easy to believe that perhaps one day, things would be at least close to normal again.

* * *

TBC, or does it?

* * *

A/N: Soooo…. What's the verdict? (gulps) Was that any good at all, or should I demolish this and pretend this never existed?

**PLEASE**, do leave a review to let me know your thoughts! Awww, c'mon, I know ya want to, for the sake of the new, fantastic year about to start. (gives puppy's eyes)

IN THE NEXT ONE would be: Naruto and Sasuke head off for their well earned vacation, but things don't work as planned as people tag along. Also, a very unwanted person comes back to the picture…

GAH, I really gotta get going. Thank you so much for reading this!

'Hope I'll see ya guys next year!

And, of course… **HAPPY, INCREDIBLY EXCITING NEW YEAR TO EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU!**

* * *

**Mary**: Oh my goodness! (blushes) You can't even imagine how happy it makes me that you enjoyed the story THAT much! (beams, and hugs)

Colossal thank yous for the absolutely amazing review!  
'Hope I'll be seeing ya around someday.


	2. Steps

A/N: Heh, ya know, this chapter turned out to be a bit of a problem child. BUT, I actually got it completed in the end nonetheless – YOSH! (grins radiantly)

BUT, first, of course… Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all those fantastic review! (HUGS) You can't even imagine how much they've boosted me forward – thank you! (showers you with all kinds of treats) Ah, yes, as always with my fics, responses to anonymous reviews can be found from underneath the chappy.

Awkay, because I think it'd be pretty pointless to keep stalling further, let's go! I really hope ya'll enjoy the ride.

* * *

Verse Two: Steps

* * *

_Two Weeks Later_

* * *

There were quite many things Naruto loved in his current life. But his favorite part was definitely waking up in the morning, although it was quite rare that Sasuke was still in the bed then. The raven woke up early and became restless in the end, and often the man had jogged ten kilometres and made breakfast for them and Chiasa by the time he finally got up.

That morning was no exception, although he woke up earlier than usual because they were heading for their journey to the mountains.

Trying to shake away the remnants of sleep, he listened to the soft noises coming from the house for a while before ushering himself out of the bed. Stiffling a yawn, he grinned when standing by the kitchen doorway and leaning against the doorframe.

He absolutely loved watching Sasuke cook. The Uchiha was practically always serious, but when the man cooked there was such an amount of concentration on his face that it was adorable.

It took several moments until Sasuke finally noticed his presence. "I thought you'd sleep in."

He grinned again, this time sheepishly. "Almost did." Not bothering to control himself any longer, he walked up to the raven and kissed the man's Uchiha shivered and leaned slightly closer, which gave him a golden opportunity to wrap his arms around the man's slender waistline. Curious as always, he tried to catch a glimpse of what the man was preparing. "What are we having?"

Sasuke wrinkled his nose slightly. "You'll find out as soon as you've brushed your teeth." Then, as though as an afterthought, the man added. "Tell Chia to come downstairs, will you? She's spent the past two hours choosing which clothes and toys to take along."

He couldn't restrain a smile. It was almost amusing how much better and more maturely than Sasuke the girl was taking the separation – she acted like she'd been heading for a holiday trip of her own. "I will." Then, in the spur of the moment, he leaned to Sasuke's ear. "This is going to be a good thing, okay?" He buried his face to the Uchiha's shoulder. "I'm glad you're going with me."

It couldn't be seen, but he heard a smile. "So am I."

Nothing further needed to be said.

* * *

About an hour or so later Sasuke and Chiasa listened as the doorbell chimed inside Itachi and Kisame's apartment. In a matter of moments the older Uchiha brother showed up to open, and Sasuke had a much too clear idea why the man's clothes and hair looked as disheveled as they did. Itachi's somewhat embarrassed expression didn't help matters.

Chiasa, though, didn't seem to mind. With a radiant, absolutely heart-melting smile she wrapped her arms around her uncle. "Hey! I haven't seen you for ages."

Itachi also smiled and stroke her hair gently. "I'm sorry. I've been quite busy lately."

Just then another set of steps could be heard. Kisame grinned toothily when noticing the visitors. The man first exchanged nods of awknowlegement with him, then focused on Chiasa. "Hey! You've grown inches from the last time I met you."

This obviously pleased Chiasa. "Really?"

Kisame nodded, then took the girl's heavy bag fromSasuke. "What do you say if I take this and show you your room? There are some new fishes in the aquarium."

Chiasa made a very excited gesture, then turned towards her father. She looked slightly saddened, but fortunately not even close to tears. "I'll see you soon, right?"

Sasuke nodded stiffly. "Yeah. We'll only be gone for a few days, so don't worry."

Chiasa nodded once more, then rushed over to him and hugged him as tightly as she possibly could. "Have fun. And don't worry about me." He could've sworn he heard a chaste 'I love you', but it might've been his imagination. With that Chiasa let go, spun around and disappeared with Kisame.

Once they were left alone Itachi spoke. "She definitely has grown up."

He took a deep inhale, trying to rid the uncomfortable feeling in his stomach. He still felt far too much like he'd been adandoning his daughter. "Yeah. She grows too fast." The feeling inside eased a little when he heard Chiasa's laughter. "Kisame's going to spoil her rotten."

Itachi was silent for a moment before talking once more. "You know… Kisame and I have decided to go for adoption."

This surprised him although it shouldn't have. Itachi and Kisame had been together for a long time; of course they wanted to expand their family.

Had he been a little less in control over himself, he might've smiled. "I think it's a good idea."

Itachi's eyes softened. "Thank you." The man then took a glance towards the clock. "Now you better get going before Naruto thinks you've chickened out. And listen to Chia – there's no need to worry."

When he sat into his and Naruto's slightly too small car, he felt the strangest sensation of peace. This surprised him; he'd feared leaving Chiasa would've been a lot more painful. Maybe this meant that they'd both grown up a little.

How comforting.

"'You okay?" Naruto's voice, although it was soft, startled him a little. The man gave him a brief, nearly worried glance while starting the car.

He found his muscles relaxing completely while he leaned back against the seat and took a deep, calm breath. It was easy to breathe. "Yeah", he murmured. "Everything's alright."

For any outsider it was impossible to tell which one's hand made the first move, for their hands were very subtle. But in a matter of moments their hands brushed together before he focused on the landscape ahead of them and Naruto whistled while driving.

* * *

After almost six and a half hours of driving Naruto – who'd been dozing off on the passanger's seat – woke up to Sasuke poking his forehead. He pouted at first, then yawned and leaned to the touch before it disappeared. "We're here", Sasuke announced.

As soon as his mind became so alert that he could actually make observations, he felt his whole body turned warm at what he saw. Not all that far away before them in the middle of the most beautiful winter-landscape was a small, extremely cozy wooden motel.

A bright grin lit up his whole face.

How about this. It looked like everything was going exactly as he'd planned…

Not really needing a lot of words, they picked up their stuff and started to make their way towards the very inviting motel.

Naruto knew Sasuke wasn't usually one to like hotels and such too much. That's why he just had to grin at the raven's expression as the man looked around the room that'd been reserved for them. "Does that look mean you approve, Your Majesty?"

He could sense how close to smiling Sasuke came, although it couldn't be seen. "Hn."

He had to admit that the room was quite impressive. It was bigger than he'd imagined, and looked both majestic and homey with its dark, wooden walls. One rather huge window opened a view to the currently dark wintry landscape. Carpet, the room's table… Everything matched perfectly. The room was enthroned by a beautiful, tiny fireplace.

Just then his gaze strayed to the room's huge double-bed. For some ridiculous reason he found himself blushing.

"Yeah." Fortunately Sasuke's voice pulled him out of very filthy thoughts. There was something quite close to amusement on the man's face. "I think we can stay here for a while."

He grinned. Letting himself loose control for a moment, he walked up to Sasuke and planted a tiny, gentle kiss to the Uchiha's neck. Sasuke shivered a little as a response, and he could've sworn he felt a tiny sound while the man tilted his head, granting him an easier access. He chuckled. "You can be such a girl sometimes", he teased.

Sasuke shot him a look that most likely wasn't even nearly as threatening as the man would've liked. "Idiot."  
He smirked. "Yeah. But your idiot, remember?" He would've wanted to add something a touch more romantic, but it became cut off by a loud yawn.

Sasuke's eyes softened ever so slightly. "We traveled for almost seven hours, you know? Let's go to bed before you fall asleep standing up." Though in all truth, the raven didn't appear the slightest bit more alert.

Fifteen minutes later he just had to smile when the bed dipped slightly as Sasuke sneaked in and lay down, so close that he could feel the man's comforting warmth. Not even bothering to try and control himself, he shifted so that he could wrap one arm around Sasuke. For the first time the man didn't make even the slightest move under his touch. That was definitely a milestone of some sort.

That night, he fell asleep with a smile on his face.

* * *

The following morning, Naruto frowned when waking up to feeling cold. Yawning foxily, he opened his eyes halfway and felt something sink inside when realizing that Sasuke's side of the bed was empty. A note had been left to the raven's pillow.

'Went to get some cigarettes. I'll be back in a while.'

He groaned, although there was a hint of relief inside him.

For the past year or so he'd been trying to talk Sasuke out of getting himself a cancer and destroying his health. It was depressing to notice how poorly he'd succeeded.

Feeling a hint of a headache, he struggled out of the bed.

Sasuke clearly had a bad influence on him – the damn Uchiha had gotten him addicted to coffee again. But then again, he needed something to wake up a little. Maybe Sasuke would be back by the time he was too.

Ten minutes later he was just going back to his and Sasuke's room when he saw something that made his eyes widen to a dramatic extend. "You!" he sputtered before managing to control his tone. "What are you doing here?"

Only steps away, he saw none other than Kakashi and Iruka, who were kissing with such intensity that it brought intense heat to his cheeks. The two didn't seem any less embarrassed when they finally noticed him and quickly stopped the little session they'd been having.

It took a long moment before Iruka finally recovered enough to clear his throat and speak. "We… decided to try something different this year." Gosh, how the man blushed…! "So… You're here, too?"

It was a difficult task for him to smother a chuckle. "I did tell you that Sasuke and I were going on a vacation, didn't I?"

There was a moment of slightly uncomfortable silence – as though when a child had caught their parents doing… private things – until Kakashi cleared his throat and apparently decided to save himself. "I'll… go and get… those things. I'll be back in a bit." Naruto figured that he wouldn't have wanted to guess what 'things' the man was talking about. The silver-haired gave him a somewhat absentminded tiny wave before dashing away. "See you later."

He could only nod.

It took a moment before he recovered from shock and realized that he was alone with Iruka. The brunet arched an eyebrow at him. "Is something bothering you?"

"No. Yes." He took a deep breath, trying to collect his spinning thoughts. "I've been supposed to talk to you a while now, but there's never been a good time." He felt a shiver of anticipation inside. "There's… something I've been planning. And I need your advice."

* * *

Outside the motel, Sasuke tossed away his cigarette and was just about to head back inside when every single cell inside his body froze at the sound of a much too familiar voice.

All those years ago, that voice had answered the phone when he'd called Naruto very late one evening, to ask when the blond was coming home. That voice had marked the end of an era, shattered the trust he'd managed to build with Naruto.

Very slowly, not really willing to do so, he turned his gaze to find a man who'd just emerged from a cab making his way towards the motel, talking to a cell-phone. Something shifted uncomfortably inside him.

That man… was almost an exact replica of him. Pale skin, dark hair and eyes…

He barely managed to focus enough to catch the man's words. "Yeah, I just got here." There was a small pause. "Stop worrying so much – I told you everything's going to work out, didn't I?" The man opened the motel's door and started to enter, never even noticing him. "I'll see you in one hour." With that the door was closed between them.

Sasuke's brain screamed commands that he should move, but his body wouldn't listen.

He didn't even notice the cold seeping in as he stood there.

* * *

TBC, or…?

* * *

A/N: Oh crap… (winces) Of course Sai had to show up.

Soooo… (gulps) What's the verdict – was that any good? **PLEASE**, do leave a review to let me know! (gives puppy's eyes) Awww, c'mon – you know much your comments mean to me.

IN THE NEXT ONE would follow this: Sai's appearance complicates things between Naruto and Sasuke. Does the blond have another secret? But underneath it all, something also comes to life…

**ONLY TWO OR THREE CHAPTERS LEFT!**

Until next time – whicever story that may be!

Take care!

* * *

**Kuroya**: Awww – my goodness, you can't even imagine how happy it makes me that someone wants something I'm writing to continue that much! (beams, and hugs) There's no way I could ever say no to that, ya know? (grins)

MONUMENTAL thank yous for the absolutely amazing review!  
I really hope ya'll like the next one as much.


	3. Closure

A/N: First off, I'm so, SO sorry that it's taken AGES again! (winces) I've been a bad author. But I've had this massive writer's block (which is, hopefully, dealt with now) and there was a outside FF –writing project I had to take care of. (glances apologetically) BUT, now I'm finally back, and in such a good mood that this chapter was finished VERY fast (be that a good or bad thing…)! (grins)

BUT, first, of course… Thank you from the bottom of my hear for those fantastic reviews! (HUGS) They're seriously precious to me, ya know? So THANK YOU! (hugs again) ('Couldn't help noticing that there was less of them for the last chapter. Should I be worried?)

Awkay, because I've already kept you waiting horrendously long, let's get on with the story! (rubs hands together, then gulps) I REALLY hope this turns out worth the wait.

* * *

Verse Three: Closure

* * *

Almost half an hour passed without a trace of Sasuke, and a deep frown appeared to Naruto's face as he took a glance towards the clock.

Something was wrong.

In the end he decided that there was no point in waiting any longer. All kinds of dark ideas spinning around his head, he took his jacket and headed outside.

As it turned out he didn't have to look far. Sasuke was stood right outside the motel by the place's smoking joint. Naruto might've even dared to relax if he hadn't seen the look on the Uchiha's pale face.

Every single muscle on Sasuke's face was stiff, and there was a look he didn't manage to read in the man's eyes. That didn't promise anything good.

Some of those dark thoughts from before returning, Naruto gathered his courage and walked up to the Uchiha. "You've been out here for ages. What's wrong?" He reached out his hand to touch the ravenet, only to find the man flinching further. He frowned, utterly confused. What the hell had he done wrong?! "Sasuke?"

Sasuke wouldn't look at him when nearly hissing. "Go back inside, Uzumaki."

He shivered and swallowed thickly. Sasuke hadn't called him that since the days of their childhood, when they'd been rivals and sworn enemies. "Sasuke, what the hell is going on?" He growled when the Uchiha dodged his attempts to catch the man's eyes. "Tell me what's wrong and look at me, damn it!"

Sasuke's eyes flashed almost like those of a injured wild animal when the ravenet finally looked towards him. "Leave me alone already! If you want something, I'm sure he is more than happy to give it all to you."

Naruto frowned, not understanding. He? "Sasuke, what the hell are you talking about?"

The Uchiha wouldn't even looked at him anymore. The man's balled fists shook. "I'm talking about that asshole you slept with back then. I saw him – I know you invited him here."

His eyes widened as understanding finally sunk in. So Sai… was here?

_Oh shit…!_

He didn't manage to utter a word before Sasuke was already walking away with sharp steps. A sensation of helplessness striking hard, he took a step to follow the ravenet. "I didn't invite him here, okay? I swear…!"

Sasuke didn't stop, didn't glance towards him. And something about the man's posture told him that approaching the Uchiha would be risking a life. "I told you to leave me alone", the ravenet hissed in a voice he'd never heard before. And by the time he managed to breathe again the man was already out of his sight.

For the longest time Naruto stood absolutely still, his eyes stinging from cold that lingered both in the air and inside him.

There was nothing he could do, he admitted with utter reluctance. For now Sasuke was out of his reach. All he could do was wait for the worst of the storm to calm down and hope for the best.

Fighting his hardest not to burst into tears Naruto turned around slowly – a part of him still hoping that Sasuke might've changed his mind after all – then walked into the motel. He did his best to ignore the curious and pitying looks the people he passed by gave him.

* * *

When Sasuke didn't come back in almost two hours, Naruto started to panic. His imagination quickly gained a life of its own.

He knew much too well how dangerously unstable Sasuke could be when he was feeling hurt; he'd seen it thrice all those years ago, when the Uchiha had ripped himself free from Ruki for the first time after the bastard landed the ravenet into a hospital. But… Sasuke had been on the road to recovery for such a long time. Surely he wouldn't…

By the time two hours, twenty minutes and twelve seconds had passed Naruto decided that he wouldn't take that chance. Pulling on the first jacket his hand brushed – which turned out to be ridiculously thin considering how cold the weather was – he all but dashed out of the room.

This time finding Sasuke was much harder. Even when mentally unstable, the Uchiha was terrifyingly good at disappearing and hiding himself. But in the end, following some sort of a huch, Naruto ended up to the top of a ski hill that'd most likely been closed several years ago because of its bad condition. It was steep, and opened an amazing view to a snow-covered forest, behind which a frozen lake spread to all eternity. But Naruto couldn't focus on the sights, because his mind was wrapped around something much more important.

Sasuke, who was currently sitting on a fallen tree, looked at least somewhat stable already. The Uchiha was shivering, most likely for several reasons, and appeared so deep in thought that the man probably hadn't even noticed him. There were also strands on his cheeks that looked almost like those of tear streaks. But Sasuke was there, and physically alright. And that was what mattered.

Just then Sasuke sensed his presence, and turned his gaze quickly towards him. The ravenet's eyes darkened slightly, but didn't narrow. "Now what?"

He drew in a deep breath, his chest feeling much too tight, before he managed to sit. He was careful to keep some distance between them – even he understood that the Uchiha didn't want touching yet. "Sasuke… What happened between me and Sai has been has been over since the day you found out and left me. And there's no chance it could be reawakened."

Sasuke didn't look at him, but at least relaxed ever so slightly. "How can I know that?"

In the spur of the moment, knowing that he was taking a chance, he leaned his head against the Uchiha's shoulder. He needed to touch, needed to be close, just to make Sasuke understand. "Trust me." It wasn't even a request – he was pleading. And then, completely out of the blue, he started to laugh, loudly. He came to a conclusion that he was probably going out of his mind. "I've spent the past two hours out in this weather looking for you, and I have only this stupid thin jacket on. Do you honestly think I'd do stuff like that if you didn't mean the whole damn world to me?"

At first Sasuke simply stared at him, as though in some sort of a state of shock. Then the Uchiha blinked once, very slowly. It took several long moments before the ravenet finally spoke. "You're a total moron." It came so softly that there was no questioning the meaning.

He smirked, despite the insanely cold temperature feeling warm. "Yeah, I know. But only because of you." Very slowly, still feeling slightly hesitant and nervous, he took the other's ice-cold hand. "Now let's get away from here before you freeze to death."

Sasuke seemed slightly hesitant at first, but when the Uchiha finally squeezed his hand the hold held no doubt. As soon as they finally got up he pulled the man as close to him as possible, and winced when noticing how cold the man was.

He groaned faintly, tightening his hold on the Uchiha. "We've gotta get you warmed up. It'd seriously ruin this vacation if you'd catch a cold."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "You're fussing."

He shrugged carelessly. "Yeah, I know. But someone's gotta take care of you, you know? Because you're doing pretty poor job." He then started to pull the ravenet along, and was utterly relieved when the man followed. "Now let's go. I've had enough of this cold."

* * *

About two hours later Sasuke was almost dozing off while he lay beside Naruto under the bedcovers, watching with half-lidded eyes how flames danced in the fireplace of their room. Finally he felt warm, and the events from earlier felt like a nasty dream of some sort. He… felt safe. And maybe that gave him the push to speak out his mind. "He looked just like me."

Naruto peered at him with clearly apparent confusion. "Huh?"

He grit teeth, focusing on the fireplace once more. "That guy you…" He couldn't bring himself to say the rest. "He looked just like me. Was that why you chose him?"

Naruto's hold on him tightened, as though the blond had feared he'd slip away. There was a long silence. "Yeah."

Something knotted in his stomach, but he didn't feel sick and his blood didn't boil. The lack of anger surprised him. Maybe it was a part of the 'healing' the therapist Naruto had forced him to see had been talking about. "Hn."

Naruto probably waited for him to say something more, because the blond kept his quiet unnaturally long. In the end came a near-whisper. "Are you okay?" Sasuke quickly translated it as 'Are we okay?'.

He nodded. And he meant it.

-

Naruto enjoyed the peace that lingered as they lay there, and he held Sasuke so close that he could feel the man's heart beating. Although they had their clothes on, this was the closest the Uchiha had ever let him. And he savored every moment.

Yawning softly, he placed his chin on top of Sasuke's head and started to massage the Uchiha's back absentmindly. He just had to grin a little when the man, most likely subconsciously, leaned just a little bit closer, emitting a tiny sound of contentment. "You like this, don't you?" he couldn't resist asking.

"Shut up." It came out softly, almost like Sasuke had been close to falling asleep.

To a casual observer, their quiet little moment might've been something mundane of meaningless. But Naruto knew better, and his heart jumped a little with elation.

This, Sasuke actually enjoying some form of rather intimate touching… was something he hadn't even dared to expect. This showed clearly that the Uchiha did trust him, more than he could've ever imagined.

With that realization, he finally found the courage to speak out what'd been spinning around his head for a while.

He swallowed thickly, feeling ridiculously nervous for some reason. "Look… I know it's still hard for you to trust, and I guess it'll take a while before you do. But… We've been through a lot together, and we've come far. So…" It wasn't until then he noticed Sasuke's lack of response and frowned. "Sasuke?"

Inspecting the situation, he just had to smile. Most likely before he'd even started his great speech Sasuke had fallen asleep. At the moment the Uchiha was breathing evenly with the calmest look he'd ever seen on his face.

Smiling and not managing to stop himself he planted a tiny kiss to the ravenet's forehead, then pushed himself out of the bed.

Now he could be completely sure of his plan. It was time to move.

* * *

About half an hour later Naruto was planning on visiting Iruka and Kakashi, but changed his mind with a radiant blush when hearing the sounds that seeped through the room's door. He turned to go back to his and Sasuke's room when a certain sight made him freeze to the spot.

Only some steps away was Sai, and the man wasn't alone. His hand held that of a older brunet's, and Naruto blinked twice when recognizing. The brunet was Yamato, a teacher from Chiasa's school.

And at that moment Naruto smiled.

Whatever mess there'd been between him and Sai, now there was nothing – most likely never had been. He was just glad to see that the man was happy. It was good to see that fate had corrected the huge mistake he'd made.

Just then Sai stopped and looked at him with a slight frown. "Do I know you?"

He didn't hesitate before grinning and shaking his head. "Nah, you're probably mistaking me for someone else."

Sai simply nodded, accepting his lie. With that they headed towards the opposite directions.

By the time Naruto entered his room he didn't even remember his encounter with Sai. His eyes softened when he glanced towards the still sleeping Sasuke.

Without a doubt, tomorrow would be interesting…

* * *

TBC, or…?

* * *

A/N: Hold it, hold it… Yosh – no worse cliffie than that – I'm so proud of myself! (chuckles) And those two actually FINALLY spoke out their minds. This is a miracle!

Awkay, because I think it's high time to get this chapter posted I'm starting to tune out. **PLEASE**, do leave a review to let me know your thoughts – especially seeing how close to ending this story is, it'd mean A LOT! (gives absolutely adorable puppy's eyes)

IN THE NEXT (and – sniffs – last) ONE: The vacation ends – but before that there's a little bit something Naruto wants to do… His plan doesn't go as planned, though, as fate seems to have fun messing with him. Will our beloved couple get a happy ending?

**THE NEXT CHAPTER SHALL BE THE LAST ONE!** (stats bawling)

Until next time, folks – I hope it'll come sooner than this one!

Take care!


	4. Bond

A/N: My gosh – I'm back, and with the final chapter for this story! (sniffs and wipes eyes) Oh man, I'm gonna miss this story so much! It's been a fantastic ride, and not least of all because of you guys.

Aaand, that's why… THANK YOU, from the bottom of my heart, for your fantastic reviews and listings! It's thanks to you this sequel was born and finished. (HUGGLES) So thank you! (hugs again)

Awkay, because I bet you'd like to see how this ends, let's go! (swallows thickly) I really, REALLY hope ya'll find this a worthy ending.

LEMON AND FLUFF AHOY!

* * *

Verse Four: Bond

* * *

Ever since his final meeting with Ruki – or perhaps long before that – Sasuke had been haunted by a reoccuring nightmare.

Once again Ruki was right there, a look that wasn't human in his eyes and holding a knife on his throat. "Now we're finally alone, 'Suke."

His eyes flashed and his blood boiled, but for one reason or another he just didn't have the strength to push the other man away. "Let… go of me, you piece of shit!" he hissed.

If Ruki's eyes had been inhuman before, at that moment they turned demonic. "No!" He was slammed against the wall so hard that he nearly blacked out. The knife was pressed so tightly against his throat that he could barely breathe.

"Don't you…!" he choked out.

Every single one of his muscles became paralyzed as Ruki leaned closer still with a sound that sent chills down his spine. He wanted to vomit when the man licked his neck. "Shh, Sasuke, shh. I'm going to show you just how badly I want you."

He wanted to scream, but he couldn't emit a sound.

Usually the dream ended to that. Tonight, however, something was very different. Because tonight he didn't wake up to that. For the first time he didn't manage to cut the dream.

All of a sudden Ruki faded away right before his eyes, like the man had been nothing but a candle in the dark someone blew off. And it wasn't as dark anymore when a hand was offered to him.

Feeling dizzy and somewhat confused, he blinked twice before lifting his gaze to see who was reaching out for him. He blinked again when meeting Naruto's smiling face. The blond didn't say anything, only offered the hand again.

And then Sasuke's eyes flew open to meet the darkness of their motel room. He found himself panting and sweating, but this time he didn't feel like screaming.

So that's how it ends, he mused, half asleep and dazed. I've always wondered…

Apparently his body had twiched enough to wake up Naruto, because he felt the blond shift. It wasn't until then he realized just how close to each other they were sleeping. Surprisingly it didn't bother him all that much. "Sasuke?" Gently, almost cautiously, the blond reached out and brushed off some strands of black hair sweat had glued to his forehead. "Was it the same dream again?"

-

As silence lingered Naruto's stomach clenched, and he grit his teeth to lock back the sounds that wanted to erupt. And here he'd been hoping this dream wouldn't show up tonight…

He knew much too well how things would go from here. Soon Sasuke would get out of the bed without saying a word and head out. It'd take an hour before the ravenet would return, appearing worn and much paler than usual. Then they'd both go to sleep, as far away from each other as possible, still not saying a word. And in the morning they'd pretend nothing had happened.

Tonight, however, Sasuke took him by surprise. Because instead of getting out of the bed the Uchiha took his hand and squeezed lightly, almost hesitantly.

He blinked twice with stun, then squeezed back, holding on with all his might. His heart started to pound and he opened his mouth, only to close it a beat later. This was something he didn't want to screw up with the wrong words.

So he squeezed his usually loud mouth to a thin line and wrapped his arms tightly around Sasuke, pulling the ravenet close. And for once the Uchiha didn't fight against the comfort, instead relaxed completely. It took a moment before Naruto realized that the other had fallen asleep.

Smiling faintly, he planted a kiss to Sasuke's slightly damp black locks and closed his eyes, letting himself drift.

They both slept peacefully for the rest of the night.

* * *

The following morning Sasuke declared to himself that Naruto was out of his mind when the blond decided to drag him along for some hiking.

There was so much snow on the forest-paths that it was almost impossible to walk and he was fairly sure there was a snowstorm approaching. So what the heck was going on? He had some rather ominous ideas.

They must've been trekking in knee-high snow for almost half an hour until he decided to speak out. "You have no idea where you're taking us, do you?"

Naruto gave him a radiant grin while shrugging. "So what? Would a little bit spontaneity kill you or something?"

He gave the man a far from amused look. "You know what? I'm starting to think it would." He frowned when hearing a distant cracking sound.

Naruto rolled his eyes, taking a look at his wrist-watch. "Okay, okay, Mr. Killjoy. Ten more minutes, then we turn. Happy?"

He scoffed. "No. But do I have any choice over the matter?"

Naruto shrugged fairly carelessly. With that they kept going.

He just opened his mouth for more complaints when all his attention focused on the cracking sounds that were becoming louder and louder by the second. And then his eyes widened as he understood. "Shit…!" It was all he had the chance to utter.

Because the next second the ice-formed ground below them broke. In seconds it became black.

* * *

When Sasuke woke up next, the first thing he saw was a very blurry, golden blob. Then, very slowly, his vision cleared to the sight of Naruto's worried face. He frowned. "'ruto?"

Naruto's eyes flashed a little with relief. "Damn it, Sasuke – you scared the shit out of me!" Seeing his quite open confusion, the blond went on. "You were knocked out cold." The man showed him three fingers. "How many fingers do you see?"

He rolled his eyes, struggling to a sitting position although his head protested a little. Damn, he was going to have a killer headache when he'd be coherent enough… "I'm fine, 'k? So stop fussing." He then frowned when noticing that Naruto couldn't put any weight on his other ankle. "You got yourself hurt, didn't you?"

Naruto tried to grin, but it didn't look right. "Meh, it's just sprained – no big deal." Even he could tell that was a lie – the ankle was stuck in an unnatural angle.

Ignoring the objections of his head, he forced himself up and positioned himself so that he could support Naruto. Around then he noticed that there was a cave nearby. "C'mon, let's go there before that snowstorm they've been talking about starts." Snow was already faling heavily – it was only a matter of time before the weather would be impossible.

It felt creepy that Naruto didn't utter a word as they went.

* * *

Naruto soon found himself drifting in and out of a coherent state, the dull throbbing in his ankle irritating him beyond all belief. At some point he blinked when opening his eyes and discovering that there was a fireplace in the middle of the tiny cave they'd found.

Sasuke, who'd been tending the fire, stopped his actions when noticing that he was awake. "It should help keep us warm. I found a box of matches from your pocket."

He frowned, his eyes locking to the hint of blood on the other side of the ravenet's head. "How's your head?"

Sasuke shrugged, then took a glance towards his ankle, which was swelling steadily. "How's your ankle?"

He made a far from mature expression. "Gives me hell." He then got up bravely, and limped his way to the Uchiha. As he slumped down to sit beside the man, the reality crashed down on him. A loud growl of frustration erupted through his lips. "This was not how today was supposed to turn out!"

Sasuke glanced towards him with an arched eyebrow. "What are you talking about? Did you hit your head, too?"

Looking at Sasuke's face, his usually thin thread of self-control snapped completely. His hands moved animatedly as he spoke. "Today was supposed to be perfect – there was supposed to be candles and music and…" He didn't manage to shut up until the saw the nearly shocked look in Sasuke's eyes. He swallowed thickly, his eyes stinging a bit for some reason. "I… just said that out loud, right?"

Sasuke, apparently, was still processing what he'd said earlier. A million emotions that unnerved him passed the man's onyx eyes. "Why would you have arranged all that?"

He gulped with a lot of difficulty, considering his options – and coming to a realization that he had none. It wasn't like he could've lied to Sasuke. "It's totally stupid and lame, but…" He looked towards his hands, which were squirming nervously in his lap. "It's… not like we could get married, or anything. But…" He bit his lip, feeling like a nervous five-year-old. "I was supposed to ask you to spend the rest of your life with me, okay?" Feeling stupid and humialiated, he searched his pocket and pulled out a simple yet beautiful white-gold ring. "I had it all planned out, you know? I was supposed to give you this tonight and…" He trailed off.

At first Sasuke simply stared at him for the longest time, and during those endless seconds he didn't even dare to look at the Uchiha. Then, out of the blue, he was bein kissed with such intensity that took his breath away.

Once the kiss ended, he looked at Sasuke with a dazed expression. "What was that for?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes, clearly close to smiling, unexpectedly pulling him into a hug. "You can be so dense sometimes."

For the next few moments he was too stunned to do a thing, but then managed to hug back, a very contended smile appearing to his face. It was silent for almost a minute before he spoke. "So… Does this mean your answer is 'yes'?"

Sasuke groaned. "Stop ruining the moment, dobe."

All of a sudden Sasuke twitched against him. He frowned. "What's wrong?"

"You smell like stupid oranges", the Uchiha drawled out.

He blinked twice. It took a moment before he managed to speak. "What?" Then, gathering his wits, he went on. "Is that… a problem?"

"Hell yes", Sasuke all but hissed. He didn't see a blush, but he sure heard one. "Because… Because it's driving me insane, okay?"  
He was about to ask more until he felt that a certain part of Sasuke was very, very hard and considerably swollen against him. Heat spread all over his face in a nanosecond, and a very pleasant shiver crossed his whole being from head to toe. It took a mighty second before he managed to sputter. "What do you want to do about it?"

For several moments Sasuke was utterly still. Then – quite slowly at first, then with almost fervent moves – the ravenet grabbed his jacket, starting to unzip it. Surprisingly hot lips attacked his neck almost demandingly while a prying hand entered his pants.

His eyes flew wide, and he emitted a sound that embarrassed him beyond all belief. It took four attempts before he managed to procude any voice. "Are you… Are you sure?"

Sasuke's gruff, bark-like sound was all the encouragement he needed.

* * *

_**LEMON WARNING**_

* * *

It took Naruto's all to control himself as a piece of clothing after another flew to the cave's floor, and he pulled Sasuke so close that he could easily feel the Uchiha's heat.

Sasuke had sure as hell gotten his fair share of scars already. He wasn't about to cause another one with impatience.

He was careful to move as slowly as possible while he gave Sasuke's bare chest a tender kiss, then moved to the ravenet's stomach and finally moved on to brush something much more private with his lips.

Sasuke gave a tiny, barely audible moan, obviously that of pleasure.

Feeling completely warm all over, he grinned when peering at the Uchiha's half-lidded eyes. The onyx orbs burned with pleasure and lust. "Do you want me to move further?" he purred, leaving his hand lingering where his lips had just been. He asked, although the way Sasuke was steadily hardening under his touch told enough.

Most likely surprising them both, Sasuke grabbed him so tightly that the man's nails dug to the bare skin of his back. He shivered with unexpected pleasure. Sasuke did as well while licking his slightly quivering lips and growling like a wild animal. "Yes. Now."

He nodded stiffly, feeling like he'd been set on fire while his breathing turned slightly erratic. Damn, how he'd missed this…! "'K", he whispered huskily, not having enough breath for anything else. Although he was getting so hard that it almost made him scream in agony he kissed Sasuke's neck, once more making sure that he had the permission. The Uchiha gasped faintly, the man's warm breath tickling as it met his ear. "I need you to turn around now." When Sasuke stiffened slightly he kissed the man once more, managing to erase the tension. "Trust me."

And perhaps Sasuke did – or then the need just got too much to bear – because the Uchiha obeyed, although the man was careful not to meet his gaze. "What… are you planning?" the ravenet inquired in a gruff voice he didn't quite recognize.

He smiled faintly. "Shh. Just relax, 'k? I'm going to stretch you up first – it's been pretty long from the last time." Taking a breath, wondering what'd happen after this, he inserted one finger into Sasuke. The man released a small, somewhat animalistic sound and shuddered, but didn't move away. He used one hand to massage the Uchiha's slightly tensed up shoulders and kissed the man's neck gently. "Relax, Sasuke. This is me – I won't hurt you. Relax."

He didn't know if it was those words, the kiss or his actions that caused the change, but after a couple of tense moment Sasuke practically melted underneath him with a very clearly apparent shudder.

That was when Naruto dared to insert the secont finger. At first Sasuke emitted a yelp the man would've probably been embarrassed by in any other situation, but then relaxed and even emitted a moan.

He smirked, giving the Uchiha's neck another kiss and a tiny bite. "You like this, huh?"

Sasuke was silent for a second before speaking so quietly that he barely heard. "No one's… ever done this before."

At first Naruto felt a hint of sadness, imagining just how rough Ruki must've been, then a jolt of guilt. He hadn't been exactly overly gentle before…

Emitting a soundless sigh, he leaned down once more. "Are you ready for more?" Receiving a rough sound a response he inserted the third finger.

Sasuke groaned, and the ravenet's whole body shuddered. "D-Damn it, Naruto…!" the Uchiha grunt out in a voice that shook with need.

That was when Naruto knew that the time had come. Sasuke moaned a little when he pulled away his fingers. He closed his eyes and grit teeth when his hardness from before worsened still. He'd probably explode soon if…!

Actually shaking, he leaned down to Sasuke and kissed the man's ear. "I… I won't lie to you", he whispered hoarsely. "This will probably hurt a little. But… I'll be as gentle as I can, 'k? So trust me and relax." Gosh, he was asking so much…!

Sasuke's breathing didn't sound quite right. "Just… Just get on with it already", the man growled.

Licking his lips, he prepared himself, then kissed and nibbled Sasuke's neck in hopes of distracting the ravenet. And then he thrust himself into the Uchiha.

The sound traveled like an electric jolt down his spine when Sasuke cried out huskily. For a moment the Uchiha turned into stone under him, and he was just about to pull himself away when he heard the gruff command. "Keep… Keep going, will you?"

After contemplating for a fleeting second he decided to follow Sasuke's command and the urges of his body that was begging for release.

Yet again he kissed Sasuke and rested his head against the Uchiha's while he moved inside the other man. "I love you", he whispered in a tone that sounded strange. For a moment they moved together as pleasure took a hold of Sasuke and the man's body jerked almost violently with a gasp, and raven-black head was thrown back. Smiling a little, his own pleasure close to reaching its peak, he moved once more. "So much."

Once again Sasuke moved as though not having any control over his body. "Show me", the ravenet challenged hoarsely.

That night, he decided to do just that.

He kept moving until they were both sweaty, sticky and panting out of exhaustion. Glancing towards Sasuke, he noticed that although the man was pale his cheeks were flushed while he panted with his eyes closed, chest rising and falling steadily.

Smiling, he wrapped his arms around Sasuke and pulled the man close. Usually the proud Uchiha would've most likely protested such displays of action. Now, though, the man was too exhausted and over his head to do anything but lean against him.

Still smiling, he kissed Sasuke's forehead and held the ravenet close, musing that the other probably didn't even notice that he was shivering slightly. "Thank you", he whispered so quietly that Sasuke probably didn't even hear.

Or perhaps the man did, because there was a small "Hn" when Sasuke gave his lips a somewhat hard kiss before relaxing once more. And Naruto quickly realized that it was the only way the Uchiha knew to say 'I love you, too'.

Unable to stop grinning, he closed his eyes and breathed in Sasuke's scent. And the only thing proving he wasn't just having a wonderful dream was that he soon fell asleep.

* * *

_**LEMONADE'S BEEN SERVED**_

* * *

Naruto honestly fought to stay awake all night. For one, he was a doctor and he was worried that Sasuke had gotten himself a concussion. And secondly… Hell, how was he supposed to sleep when he had a naked Sasuke in his arms?

Frankly, he was fairly sure he was dreaming. Especially when his eyes flew open suddenly and he woke up.

Drowsy and comfortably sore he pushed himself up, yawning loudly. He immediately discovered that Sasuke was already up, stood by the cave's entrance. He wasn't sure why felt a hint of disappointment when realizing that sun was shining on piles of fresh snow. "The snowstorm's stopped", he murmured.

He wasn't sure if it was because of the bright light outside, but Sasuke's eyes looked different from before. "Hmm." And then the man kissed his lips, briefly yet warmly, sending his stomach fluttering. "Now let's get out of here. As good as this vacation has been, I think we're ready to go home."

-

The looks on Kakashi and Iruka's faces were priceless as the men saw the two of them stumbling in to the motel, Sasuke with a gash on his head and he limping with a badly swollen ankle.

"So this is your idea of keeping Sasuke distracted until we get your room prepared?" Iruka commented somewhat dryly. "We almost called the police when you didn't come back!"

"Do we want to know?" Kakashi inquired.

To his surprise Naruto grinned radiantly, tightening his hold on Sasuke. "Nah. We just decided that it's time to go home – we've got everything we came for."

No matter how ghost-light it was, he felt Sasuke squeeze his arm. It wasn't until then he felt the ring on the Uchiha's finger.

His grin from before widened still.

* * *

_Two Years Later_

* * *

There was a loud groan as a shrill cry echoed through Itachi and Kisame's apartment. "Isn't it your damn turn?" Kisame asked in a near-whine.

Naruto snickered. "Welcome to parenthood."

Kisame snorted, giving the blond a loudly speaking look. "You became the parent of a six-year-old – I got a six-month-old. So I'd keep my mouth shut unless you've ever stayed up three nights straight", the man said in a very dark tone.

Naruto found it wisest to obey, and just in case snuggled a little bit closer to Sasuke, who was sitting beside him on the couch.

Just then Itachi walked into the room, carrying a little baby-boy – Yuki – in his arms. What the older Uchiha whispered is anybody's guess, but the baby stopped crying in an instant and snuggled as close as possible to his adoptive father. It was easy to see the fondness in the man's onyx eyes when he whispered something more.

"That's so cute!" Chiasa sighed.

Sasuke smirked. "That little bungle's softened you up, you know?"

Itachi scoffed. "If you think I'm bad, you should see Kisame. Last night I heard him cooing to Yuki through baby-monitor."  
Kisame gave his partner a very wry look. "Yeah, thanks for sharing it with everyone."

Itachi rolled his eyes, muttering something that sounded like 'damn macho'. "Now are you going to come and learn how to change the diaper or not?"

As the family of three disappeared, with Kisame muttering darkly, Naruto snickered. "I had a feeling those two would make good parents."

"Hn." Mostly subconsciously Sasuke leaned slightly against Naruto and took the man's hand. "I guess nothing's impossible."

-

Looking at the two sitting there with joined hands, Chiasa gave a knowing grin, then chose to disappear from the room. She was a big girl enough to be able to tell when adults needed some 'alone time'.

* * *

Much later that evening Sasuke stood before a window, watching how a snowstorm was getting worse and worse outside. It'd been impossible for him and Naruto to go home so they'd decided to spend the night here.

He didn't know how long he'd been there deep in thought until he heard approaching steps. He closed his eyes when Naruto wrapped a pair of warm arms around him and found his body leaning eagerly against the blond's.

Things… weren't by any means perfect – nothing ever was. But he finally dared to be happy, and he had someone he could trust with his all by his side. So how could he have asked for anything more?

"What are you thinking about?" Naruto whispered, the warm breath giving him pleasant shivers.

He shrugged, watching the snowstorm raging outside through half-lidded eyes. At some point one of his hands wrapped around Naruto's and squeezed. "Nothing special", he murmured, feeling comfortable and drowsy.

He heard a yawn before Naruto placed his chin to his shoulder and pulled him closer still. "'Wanna stay like this a bit longer?"

He closed his eyes, hearing Naruto's steady heartbeat and the wind raging outside. "Hn."

He wasn't entirely sure when it'd happened, but at some point Naruto had managed to fill the cracks inside him. He felt whole, and he was sure Naruto did, too.

Life wasn't perfect, but it was good. And he was very satisfied with that.

* * *

_**Owari**_.

* * *

A/N: Hold it, hold it… YES – it was a happy ending! (beams) Those two seriously deserved one, too, after all they had to go through. (keeps grinning)

Awkay… Ehem. I'm bad at this, so long story short… Thank you so much for sticking around this story, and especially for reviewing and listing! Like I already said it's you guys that kept this story alive. So thank you! (hugs, and showers you with all kinds of special treats) You guys are dear, ya know?

(sniffs) This story is now officially over, but I'm hoping I'll see at least some of ya around later with some other stories. Until then…

Thank you! And take care, yeah?


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